This invention relates to an apparatus and method for weight control, and more particularly, for an apparatus adapted to be fitted within the mouth of a user so as to control the amount of solid food that the user may intake into his or her digestive system.
Methods and apparatus for controlling weight are known in the art. Known methods include dieting, exercising, body wrapping, special medications, and the like. The most effective method of weight control is, of course, to merely limit the amount of calories that are taken into one's digestive system. Thus, dieting, and variations thereof, including fasting, are perhaps the most wide spread and well known methods of weight control. Because a large number of calories are ever present in solid foods, many diets prescribe only liquids. Such liquids are typically controlled to contain a needed amount of nutrients and calories.
Unfortunately, not everyone who has decided to follow a liquid diet is able to do so. Habit, lack of will power, peer pressure, and physiological and/or psychological disorders, are only some of the stumbling blocks that may prevent a person who wants and needs to follow an appropriate liquid diet from doing so.
In order to overcome these and other stumbling blocks, it is known in the art to take "drastic" measures in order to force a person to lose weight. Such measures have included major surgery (e.g., to staple the stomach in order to reduce its size or to block the amount of food that may enter or leave the stomach, or to shorten the length of the intestines). The risks associated with such major surgery are legion, and these risks (which have resulted in many deaths), as a general rule, far outweigh the benefits that the surgery may ultimately bring. Thus, major surgery is not a viable alternative to most people who desire or need to lose weight. It is well known that the purpose of such surgery is to reduce stomach or intestine volume and thereby develop a sense of being full after eating less food. Published research has shown that even under normal conditions, however, there is a time lag between the entry of food into the digestive tract and the assimilation of nutrition into the blood stream. For example, it takes approximately twenty minutes from the time that the food reaches the stomach lining for it to be broken down so that it can be absorbed into the blood stream. This then carries the message of nourishment to the hunger centers of the brain, triggering a response of being full. Therefore, the rapid ingestion of foods until the hunger sensation is satisfied will invariably lead to excessive calorie intact. Additional information regarding this phenomenon can be found in Act Thin, Stay Thin, Dr. Richard B. Stuart, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., New York (1977). For these reasons, it is generally recommended that solid foods be well chewed, so that the digestive process can be accelerated, in addition to slowing down the actual rate of food consumption. Obviously, the smaller the particles of food are, the more rapid is the assimilation of nutrition into the blood stream. Therefore, the foregoing methods have shown some effectiveness for weight loss.
Another method known in the art for losing weight--and particularly adapted to restrict a person to a liquid diet--is to install apparatus in the mouth of the user that prevents the user from opening his mouth. This method--generally referred to as "wiring one's mouth shut"--is very effective. That is, when this method is pursued, the jaw bones are physically constrained from opening any farther than is absolutely necessary in order to allow liquids to enter the mouth. Thus, the user is forced to take nothing but liquids for food, and the content of these liquids may be selectively controlled to provide a proper calorie and nutrient level.
Although wiring one's mouth shut is very effective, it is also frought with difficulties and undesirable side effects. First, wiring the mouth shut prevents the person from talking in a normal fashion. This, in turn, may cause social inhibitions. Moreover, the wires used to perform the wiring function are generally visible to others, thus creating an unsightly scene for others to observe whenever they look at the individual. This also could cause serious social problems.
Second, wiring the mouth shut precludes proper oral hygiene. Teeth cannot be brushed, flossed, or rinsed in an effective manner. Thus, tooth decay, gum diseases, and bad breath are prospective side effects that may attend having one's mouth wired shut.
Third, wiring the mouth shut imparts a claustrophobic feeling to the user, causing much frustration due to his or inability to talk, yawn, or to otherwise properly exercise the jaw and tongue muscles. Such a situation may cause both psychological as well as physiological problems for the user.
Fourth, a definite health hazard exists if the mouth is wired shut and the user has a need to regurgitate (throw-up). If the emergent material is not allowed to freely exit through the mouth at a rather rapid volumetric flow rate, then the regurgitated material may be forced into the respiratory system, including the lungs. Such a situation could cause serious injury, even death.
Fifth, "wiring one's mouth shut" restricts the persons to a diet consisting strictly of liquids which must typically be administered through a large syringe or similar method. Such a "pure" liquid diet lacks food fiber, a nutrient necessary for good health.